TEAM UP 2010

Nandos, Embassies, and Tennis

2011-08-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Team up began the day with work to prepare for our community service project at the end of the week- the Team Up kids will go teach different Grassroot games to middle schoolers. We will also be making videos about the importance of decreasing stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.

After a morning of hard work, we set out to have a crazy and fun-packed afternoon. We frequented the US Nando's in Dupont Circle for lunch, before heading to the South African embassy. It was quite a scene- all 15 kids sitting around a conference table with four members of the embassy, to inform them of all we have been working on since our meeting last year in South Africa.

Next up, we headed NW to Leggs Mason for a tennis tournament, where one of Tspence's best friends, and a founding boardmember of the Grassroot Project, was playing in the match. The kids loved meeting a professional tennis player who is so dedicated to our cause!

As we write this, the kids are dancing to the "Michael Jackson Experience" on Wi at Diamond's house!

Signing off to lead a debrief of the day!!

Team Up 2011 Takes over Georgetown!!

2011-08-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

We met up with Skillz coaches for Grassroot Soccer Malawi.

And took over Georgetown!

Team Up 2011: Why are we here?!

2011-08-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Team Up 2011 is underway! Yesterday morning the South African kids arrived in America, and we reunited last night at Ms. Balogun's for dinner with the DC kids. Today, our first full day, we began by playing soccer. We are in our first TakeAction session of the week, where we asked the kids to share their expectations, and also give insight on why we are here!

Natasha: We are here to spread the word about HIV/AIDS, we are here to know the game. We are here to build our team. We are here to make the move.

Koby: I came here to catch up with my friends from South Africa. I really missed them and I wanted t see how they were doing. I also wanted to find out what they were doing to help prevent HIV/AIDS. Together we plan to spread the word about HIV/AIDS.

Hopwell: We came here from South Africa to DC to spread the word about HIV and AIDS and stop stigma and discrimination and to learn more about the Project. we also came to see our penpals and learn about USA and Washington DC.

Expectations:

What are you hoping to learn, and gain? Share your thoughts:

Natasha: My expectation is to see the home of DC and to respect our friends.

Hopwell: My expectations are for we to learn more about what we came for, not just to enjoy the trip. I expect when we leave here, I hope that people have learned from us. (Deidra chimes in with an AMEN!)

Siya: I expect to learn more from the DC kids.

Xolisile: I expect to become a leader.

What to think about all week? We plan to meet with leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS throughuot the week, and we want to question:

the underlying causes of HIV: choices people make.

Keep reading to see what happens all week!

-Tricky Vicky

Update from Coach Kani

2011-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Update from Soweto

2011-03-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys this is Numfundo.

I am in high school now and my new school, it’s rocking. I have spread the word to my classmates that AIDS is a disease that cannot be cured, but that HIV/AIDS does not mean the end of your life. After we educate our friends, we have to also talk to them about discrimination and stigma. The six of us, we are talking to teenagers about what we learned in Team Up, and they are always interested. What are you guys doing in DC?

I just want to say I miss you and we will see you in July. Shay Shay (Tuziah), Liz, and Emily I really miss you. Hi Mr. Rob, Mrs. Balogun, and Mrs. Young.

Hey guys, I still remember you! We are planning to make a presentation to our community meeting. We are going to also go to the biggest hospital in Soweto and give our presentation. We now talk to our parents about these things, and they came to our last meeting. They will help us accomplish our goals.

You all are a big thing in my whole life. Tuziah, my penpal – I’ll never forget when we won the soccer game this summer…3 to 0!

Peace Up Guys,

Siya

Guys, its me Hopwell. I would like to say I miss you so much. I dream about you always. Anyway, I have kept my promise to spread the word about HIV. We are going to be working on our next Team Up project during our school holiday, April 4-8. It will be gr8.

Just wait, I will see you soon. “Coming soon,” like in the movies. LOVE U.

Hopwell Mguni

Hi guys it’s me N-dukes. I just want to say I cant sleep I always think about you and the things we have done together. You are so lovely and caring to other people, and my favorite day was when we shared our time at the Nkosi’s orphanage.

Kani and MJ have been coming to our school and helping us work on our projects.

Don’t worry, we will be together again. Love you.

Nduduzo “N-dukes”

Hey guyz – I want to say I miss you and wish you were here with us. We are working on our action plan. Our next step is:

1) Make a presentation to grade 8, 9, 10, and 11 at 3 schools.

2) Visit community meetings so adults can know what we think.

I want to say to my friend Ahmed when I come to DC I will make sure that I buy you some thing and I want to say happy birth day to Liz. We love you guyz.

Sibongile (Miyya)

Hi guys I cant wait to see you again. I really really miss you. To my penpal Diamond – I miss you too! I cannot forget our time together during World Cup. Remember our action plan guys, we are keeping that promise by visiting a community centre meeting with people infected and affected by HIV.

I love all you guys.

Xolisile

LET US KNOW HOW YOUR PROJECT IS

Jordy Wordy

2010-09-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody it’s me Jordana I miss you guys so much. You guys were so much fun and made the day better when ever we were sad. I can’t wait until you guys come to D.C. I know you’ll have so much fun but I guess the only bad thing is that it’ll be crazy cold. And it’s nowhere near as cold as South Africa. I hope that you guys are doing great and that you still miss us. Right now we are working on a presentation that we will be giving to Grassroot Athletes and, hopefully, a famous radio show here in the District.

Tuziah back in DC at the BBQ

2010-09-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

My thoughts has changed since I been back. I thought Africa would be how it is on TV. But it was beautiful. I remember the penpals. I really miss them. I hope they can come to the United States and we can show them how the United States looks, and they can learn about Grassroots here. I told my class about South Africa. They were asking alot of questions. It was fun telling them about South Africa. Hopewell was funny (I miss you Hopewell!). I learned from him and he made the trip more exciting.

Medy at the Team Up DC Braai

2010-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I feel changed after the trip. The way I communicated and shared with the Soweto people was the best thing that happened to me in my whole life. I feel changed because I gave respect and I was given respect, which never happened to me before by people that I just met. I realized that I have the ability to communicate with people that I don’t know.

I have always thought that I have no ability to speak out or thought that people might not understand me. When I came back everyone kept asking me how was the trip, and I had a lot to say. I would start by telling them, “The trip was the best trip ever.” For real the trip was great. Then I would say “We saw a World Cup match, one of the biggest games, which was Brazil vs. Ivory Coast. Then we met the most wonderful, caring, funny, and respecting pen pals ever. They are like my brothers and sisters to me. We spent great times together. We fought AIDS and worked together to get rid of myths and misunderstandings.” Then this part was the fun part to tell people which is “I went through the caves, went to a safari, played soccer every single day, went to the constitutional court, and went to Mandela’s house. Then the most interesting part we met and spoke to a famous judge who lives with AIDS, Justice Edwin Cameron.” I conclude by saying it was the most wonderful trip.

Ahmed aka "Medy"

Unique (from the Team Up BBQ in DC)

2010-09-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

When I came back to the US I was more grateful for what I have and I became more serious about HIV and AIDS after I came back from South Africa. I became more grateful for what I have because the kids we met in South Africa were really grateful for everything they had even their friends. So it made me want to change the way I feel about things. And I made a lot of great friends and I took HIV and AIDS more seriously because Siya said that his mother has AIDS and I felt sad that his mother had AIDS and I really wanted to know a lot more about HIV and AIDS so I can help people learn about it when we come back to the United States so people can empower others to help people learn about it and take action in their community.

Letter from Siyabonga

2010-08-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

hey this is Siya and i miss you guys so much. i miss you Jordana and Jackypoo. please keep telling people our age about all that u are learning about HIV/AIDS. i miss you Francisco, i miss your friendship as well.

from Siyabonga

Letter from Nduduzo

2010-08-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

hi Crazy Vicky i miss u and i will see u soon. i miss you alot guys and keep suporting those infected and affected by hiv/aids.

crazy vicky i am a professor now in soccer and i hope your practicing your soccer skills because a spy two is coming for you.

from Nduks Nduduzo

Letter from Hopwell

2010-08-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

watsup goys, i miss u tarzeah(excuse the spelling)

i want to see u all and i miss hearing your voice, but ill be coming soon .

keep spreading the word on hiv and have more kids joining you.

from Hopwell

Letter from Natasha

2010-08-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, u know that we miss u and we are excited about the camp to the United States. What i most about you is when we shared our coach's story and being informed together about HIV/AIDS. we know that u miss us too but we'll visit you soon.

from Natasha

Letter from Xolisile

2010-08-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, i miss u and u dont know what i am feeling since the time u left South Africa. it still is hard to believe that u r gone. M-jay and Kani have been teaching us alot and i wish i could see u again.

from Xolisile

Life Around the Game checks in with Team Up

2010-07-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Team Up on NBC Nightly News

2010-07-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it on the news, here is a link to NBC's video story on our trip to South Africa!

Stay tuned for more information on how our Team Up kids continue to share their experiences and educate others about what we have been up to!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

Reflections on Team Up 2010 from Coach Liz the Whiz

2010-07-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's been about a week since I've been back from South Africa. As I sit and reflect on the experience, I am realizing just how special it was. I have shared, learned, and grown so much because of those ten days and had tons of fun while doing it. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was an unforgettable experience and I hope the Team Up trip tradition continues. I didn't know what to expect when I decided to buy my ticket to South Africa, but I am so glad I did. The trip truly exceeded by expectations and then some. I got to meet some of the greatest people, including teachers, student athletes and students from both DC and South Africa. I got to learn about the South African culture through touring Nelson Mandela's home and the Hector Peterson Museum, listening to Edwin Cameron in the Constitution Court, and going on a safari. In addition to all of those amazing things, I was even able to meet two Women National team players including gold medalist, Hope Solo, and go to not one but two world cup games! However, even after all of those things, I can honestly say that I enjoyed the time I spent with the teachers, coaches, and students of DC and Soweto the most. I will definitely miss each of them and will always take with me what I have learned from them. Colliding the two different cultures of DC and South Africa through the same very prevalent problem of HIV/AIDS was not easy but was most definitely worthwhile. I believe the Team Up crew has paved the way in keeping the program alive for many years to come. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this program. Johannesburg was excited to invite the world to South Africa, and I am so happy I went!

Liz Hillin

Check out the blog about Team Up 2010 on the US State Department website!

2010-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

To see the blog about us on the US Department of State official blog, click here!

Everyone made it home safe and sound from South Africa.

Be sure to keep following the blog for more updates as we see how our kids share their Team Up experiences in their communities!

Ahmed (Day 8)

2010-06-22T04:10:00.000-07:00

I had a perfect experience during this trip, this trip was wonderful because of the things I learned.

The first thing that I learned is to build your support team- like playing a game with Hope Solo or going to the orphanage to support the orphans to make them feel support and not to be full of stigma or myths.

The second thing that I learned during this trip is Risk. We went to the lion park with the car windows open which was cool but a high risk (!!!).

The third thing that I learned during this trip was the four ways to stay strong just like Justice Edwin Cameron did to fight the HIV in his body and stigma. An infected person can stay strong by eating well, having a support team, fighting against stigma by the help of their supporters and using ARV’s on time.

The fourth thing that I learned was friendship. I myself made friends with people that I didn’t know or met before. I made friends that care and support me. I hope we keep in touch. When I get back home I want to spread the word to my teammates of the DC United U15 team. I can also spread the word by using posters everywhere, form a youth team that will spread the word by meeting different schools and community centers. I will talk to my community about HIV/AIDS, how it can be spread, and how we all can end it.

Day 8 (Tuziah)

2010-06-22T04:04:00.001-07:00

It was so fun yesterday. I got to go to a soccer or in other words football game (that’s what they call it here in South Africa). I had a great time with my friends, teachers, and Grassroots leaders. People were blowing their vuvuzelas left and right. Brazil won the game against Ivory Coast.

It was like a dream come true to share that experience with people I love dearly. I can tell that I am really going to miss South Africa, and my penpals Natasha, Hopewell, Ndudzo, Xolisile, Miya, Siya. They’re always going to be in my heart as well as South Africa, because it’s meant a lot to me. I hope that we will keep in touch.

I plan to come back in the future if it’s possible. I want to thank all the teachers, athletes, and students for supporting me- the trip has been amazing. You all must always remember that I will always have you in my heart, and this has been a great experience to share.

Day 8 (Unique)

2010-06-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

People sharing their coaches story has moved me because even though it was really hard to talk about it, they had enough courage to talk about it and sometimes they cried when they told their story. When I told my story to my group I cried because I was really sad, I never told anyone about it and it was difficult.

And when we went to an orphanage I had a good time. We made a lot of children smile and people would just come up to us and give us a hug. A little girl came up to me and gave me a hug, so I picked her up and held her the whole day. I almost cried when I picked her up. She reminded me of my little sister and I really missed her.

And meeting kids from Soweto was the best part of the trip. They were so outgoing and fun and they taught us many new things and gave us so many brilliant ideas. They were really fun, my pen pal didn't show up but I was really glad the rest came.

And when we went to the World Cup it was fun. Some were cheering for Brazil, and the rest was all cheering for Ivory Coast. I cheered for Ivory Coast. That was my first time going to a live soccer game. Ivory Coast lost 3-1 but I was still cheering for them.

But most of all, I'm going to miss everybody. Today is the last day and everyone is a unique person and there is nothing you can't do without setting your mind toward your goal and try your best, never give up, and be resilient, but also remember that people have to empower others in order to stop HIV/AIDS.

Day 8 (Ms Balogun)

2010-06-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on this week's activities and events, I am so amazed at how much the students have learned and how much they have grown as young leaders. Perhaps my expectations were higher than needed- it's only because I want the best for them. They have taught me so much and for that I am really proud of them. I am truly grateful that I was able to share this experience with them. I was most inspired with Unique's Coach's Story. She was very brave to confront a very difficult situation and then to share it with all of us. I am also inspired by all of the coaches. Each and every one of the coaches have shown true leadership skills by being a part of team--Team Up and Grassroots--the commitment, dedication and compassion displayed toward the children by the coaches helped me to realize how much they care about the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Ms. CeeBee

Day 8 (Coach Matt)

2010-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

This trip has been an experience of a lifetime that truly could only have happened once. The combination of being in South Africa, a place uniquely linked to DC through their shared battle against the HIV pandemic, during the World Cup with kids who are inspired to make a change in their community is simply something that could not be replicated. The energy of the whole country was amazing, and the national pride we saw every day carried over to our kids showing pride in their own communities, whether they be from Soweto or DC. That pride meant that every one of these kids worked to take advantage of the opportunities this trip gave to them to make a positive impact in their community. Whether it was learning the South African culture through Nelson Mandela’s house or the Hector Pieterson museum or learning the amazing coach’s story of Edwin Cameron, every participant of the trip came away from it with a range of knowledge and experience to change their own lives and the lives of those around them. Matching the energy of the kids was a daily challenge as a coach, though to be truthful I sometimes felt more like a learner than a teacher. I had the privilege to help facilitate the kids’ activities but I was given back the blessing of seeing these kids learn, mature, and accept the responsibility of what that meant. They are blessed with knowledge and maturity, and I saw them actively try and teach others and act as leaders, such as sharing what they know to people we met or playing with the young orphans at an AIDS orphanage. After just witnessing the group resolve to bring what they learned back to their communities and formulate a plan on how to do it, I am very proud to say that these future leaders called me a leader on this trip, and this trip was only a preview of the great things they can grow up to do.

-Matty Boy

From Coach Tricky "Victorious" Vicky

2010-06-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kids gave their team presentations. The Moltibombas (literal translation for "dropping the bomb") presented a sketch (skit) about four friends who experience heartbreak and hardship when one of them tests positive for HIV/AIDS. While two of the friends were supportive, one friend stigmatized the boy with HIV/AIDS and told him they could not be friends anymore. Six months later, all the friends went back and got tested again. The boy that had tested positive had an undetectable viral count, as he had been taking ARVs and living a healthy lifestyle. Meanwhile, the friend who stigmatized him ended up testing positive for HIV. In the end, the group of friends recognized that they all had to be there for each other, and the skit ended in a group hug. Natia, Hopwell, Natasha, and Francisco received two thumbs up from the judges for their rockstar performance. Later at night, Team Up attended BRAZIL vs. IVORY COAST! We arrived at Soccer City stadium four hours early to beat the crowds. This gave us barely enough time for every kid, athlete, and faculty sponsor to paint their faces in their teams' colors, and take bountiful pictures. We were surrounded by Grassroot SKILLZ coaches, who resembled a pep band with their vuvuzuelas! The stadium was full of life and energy; behind me, Natia screamed "Brazil, BRAZIL!" five times a minute, regardless of who had the ball. The stadium was filled with over 85,000 fans; painting a picture of waving flags, crazy soccer hats, and providing a constant vuvuzuela humming. What an amazing game, once in a life time experience, and an awesome FINALE FOR TEAM UP 2010!! As I am posting this, the kids from DC and Soweto are sitting around the Athlete House enjoying a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes before we say our last goodbyes and head to the airport.

Until next time,

Tricky Vicky

TEAM UP 2010

2010-06-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

WORLD CUP

2010-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW the kids present their action plans to the community, play a 'Team Up' World Cup, then head to Brazil VS Ivory Coast. a group of 30 just behind the goal. look for us on ESPN!

-TSpence

Day 6 (Jordana)

2010-06-19T00:09:00.001-07:00

Today we went to an orphanage. We had like the best times of our lives. I think that’s because it was so much fun to just have a chill day with all the students, athletes, penpals, and all of the kids at the orphanage. I think that it was really sad to know that most of them have HIV/AIDS and that they are so young. But the good thing about it is to know they are still living a normal, good life. I was so proud of them because they just let go and allowed us into their home and their life. I felt like everything in the world didn’t matter and it was all about them. And I think that they had the best day of their life because HOPE SOLO and her good friend KIA MCNEIL came again. And I think that put a even bigger smile on their faces. And then after that we went to the embassy where we saw USA have a draw against Slovenia. But the funniest thing is when the photographers started taking pictures of me and Tu’Ziah with the little USA stars in our hair. But it was an AMAZINGLY fun day from the beginning to the end.

-Jordy Wordy

Day 6 (Diamond)

2010-06-18T23:48:00.003-07:00

Today was a very special day for me because we went to go visit an orphanage. T-Spence told us why we were going there. He said that we were going to see kids that was there because their parents had HIV. When we went inside of the orphanage, I thought I was going to scream because I saw different color couches. The color of the couches were: pink, purple, goldilion, and light light green. Before we left, everybody from Team Up went outside and played with the wonderful children. We played basketball, soccer, and we also put them on our backs and did a fun pony ride. I think that that was wonderful to play with kids that lost their parents.

After that we left to go to the United States of America Embassy. We went there to watch a soccer game. The teams that played were USA (United States of America) and Slovenia. But both of the teams scored 2 goals. That was very awesome. After the game we went to someone’s house for a barbeque. The house was very big and very beautiful. When we came in the door we said our names and our nicknames for about 5 or 10 minutes. We waited til the food was finished and they called us to eat. They cooked chicken, potatoes, salad, and they had some wonderful bread. After we ate we came into the dining room to chat with our penpals. Right now we are eating some snacks and we are again watching some more soccer. Today was a very special day for me. I will never forget this day.

From Coach 'Tricky Vicky'

2010-06-18T23:06:00.001-07:00

The kids continue to amaze us everyday. As a Grassroots Coach I feel so lucky to be a part of this trip. Yesterday, two DC kids and two Soweto kids shared their coaches’ stories. One of the kids discussed how she dealt with the death of a family member. When it first happened, she did not talk about it, but through Grassroots and hearing other kids and athletes share their coaches’ stories, she realized that talking about grief, and being able to share her feelings with her support team allowed her to deal with her sadness. Another student talked about how a family member with HIV died a couple of years ago, and only recently did her family tell her that he was HIV positive. She spoke of the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, and how she wishes that everyone could have been accepting of her family member. I am so amazed and proud that the kids are willing to open up and share their personal experiences.

This trip has allowed everyone to become amazingly close; we spend every waking hour together: playing soccer, visiting historical sites, and learning life skills and how to protect ourselves from getting HIV/AIDS. What I love about Grassroots, is that despite all the grief, sadness, and tragedy surrounding this mature epidemic, we can bring so much life and energy to everything we do, whether that is learning about HIV/AIDS through fact nonsense, hearing about Edwin Cameron’s stories, or hearing how HIV/AIDS has affected friends and family.

My most memorable experience on the trip thus far was walking through the Hector Pieterson museum with Hopwell from Soweto, who has visited the museum many times before. He knew more than I could ever imagine about the 1976 Soweto Student Protests and Soweto’s history during Apartheid. He spoke of the violence and hatred committed against the residents of Soweto . As we walked through the museum, he discussed how blacks were physically removed from their homes; meanwhile, a video depicted a bulldozer knocking down a home and reducing it to a pile of rubble. We stopped at a picture of a man with blood dripping down his face; Hopwell told us how the man’s nose was slashed by a knife, and then he was shot with a bullet in the head.

Later that day in an interview, Hopwell told us that before the exchange when he heard the word Americans the word “rich” jumped out at him. He has realized, he spoke, that they have blood, and we have blood, and it is all the same. When we visited Mandela’s house an hour later, he continued to stress Madiba’s rainbow nation. I am so amazed that an 11 year old boy, who is aware of extreme violence and hatred committed against his community, understands that the only way to move forward is through reconciliation and forgiveness. I can’t wait to see what the kids surprise us with today!

-Victoria (aka Tricky Vicky)

Coach Post (Alex)

2010-06-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Riding home tonight one of the athletes said “Every day here just keeps getting better.” I couldn’t agree more. Since we got here the kids have handled themselves with maturity, engaged actively in the activities, formed genuine friendships, and begun to establish themselves as leaders. The past two days have been the most rewarding. Yesterday after soccer we toured the Constitutional Court and heard Edwin Cameron speak about his battle with HIV/AIDS. Before meeting Justice Cameron, we toured the court, which is architecturally stunning. Situated on Constitutional Hill, known to locals as “Number 4,” after the apartheid jails, the court was built in 2003 and stands out among the older buildings. Justice Cameron’s speech was moving. I was captivated by his honesty and confidence – speaking openly about being an openly gay man with AIDS. After he spoke he asked, “I want you to ask me about sex.” This was one of the first opportunities on the trip for the kids to speak with someone infected with the disease they have been learning about all week. The questions they asked showed how far they have come. At the end we started to plan our projects for the end of the trip. My group decided to do body maps with symbols, what they have learned about themselves and HIV/AIDS this week. I was impressed that one of the girls, Unique, came up with the idea considering how quiet she has been throughout the trip. The four kids in group “Chakalaka Thunda” are quiet but insightful. I can see them all gaining confidence from this trip and becoming leaders back in DC. Today when we went to the AIDS orphanage I saw each of them playing with the orphans, which makes me happy to see their engagement. The South African kids have been great teachers and friends to all of us. I am excited to see how the final presentations turn out on Sunday and go to the game!

-Al

Day 5 (Xolisile)

2010-06-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today we had a lot of fun and it was so awesome when we heard Justice Cameron's Coach's Story. My good part of the day was when he told us he got HIV and how many years he was living with that HIVirus. He told us that he found out that he was positive in 1986 and he is still living with it and the stigmatize has increased because people know he is HIV positive and he is a judge. It was also really good when we were in the court museum and we saw good pictures and stories. THE END!

By Xoli

Day 5 (Tuziah)

2010-06-17T13:15:00.001-07:00

It was fun today. I got to go to the Supreme Court in South Africa. I found out that one of the judges has HIV. He has been taking treatment so he’s very healthy. He chose the right path and I’m glad he did. The lesson he taught us was even though you have HIV doesn’t mean you have to give up. Keep on going with your life and share your story. That way you can build a support team. When he told people that’s what they did—helped to support him.

Day 5 (Diamond)

2010-06-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, this is Diamond. I am having a really great time in South Africa. Today we went to the Constitutional Court for a tour. After the tour we talked to Edwin Cameron to tell us about HIV and AIDS and how he dealt with having the disease. He is very brave and courageous.

Diamond (aka Di Di)

Day 5 (Unique)

2010-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Constitutional Court and I read a body map on a woman who was infected with HIV. When Ncedeka was pregnant she went to the doctor to get an HIV test it showed up negative, but she was HIV positive. She breast fed her daughter and passed mother to child transmission. Her daughter became very sick she took her to many doctors but they all said the same thing. They said she was fine when she wasn't. They told her she just had to take medicine. She never got better her first child died at the age of a year and four months. Since then she wondered how long she was going to live if she was taking her medicine every day. After i read that I felt sad because her first child had to die and she wondered if she can have another child with out transmitting HIV to it.

Life Changing Information Gained (about HIV AIDS)

2010-06-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

We are the coaches of City Year in South Africa. We have been working alongside the American college athletes to train the kids from DC and Soweto. We wanted to jump on the blog and share with you our thoughts on the programme so far...

In our book of life, this is one chapter that we'll always read and read it to our fellow men to bring comfort to those who are infected and affected by HIV. We always thought that we know everything about HIV AIDS,until we were prooven otherwise by the kids in the graasroot programme. we learned alot more about the high risks,low risks and ways of avoiding all kinds of risks with regards to the HI Virus. We now have the courage and are fully confident to spread and share the kwowledge gained during these past few days about HIV AIDS.

Kani

From all walks of life i saw footsteps merging, i gazed at them as they rose to break the silent that crippled my youth and then i heared hope resounding that your friend who is living with HIV AIDS is still your friend...that we need to at all time to love and suport our fellow brothers and sisters who are infected and affected by HIV AIDS. It is really great that there's people my age becoming the change they want to see inthe world that is to live inthe world that will not judge but offer support to the kids who affected by the HI Virus and teach them more about ways of avoiding to get the Virus. :-)

Mojalefa Malaza (M-jay)

I'm realy blown away I can't believe all the kids from TEAM UP have so much knowlage about the HIVirus they can tell you from how it's transimeted, to how it can be prevented they are just amazing it is quiet an honour and a prevelage to be part of the programe to be here to experience and witness all these fantestic kids from diversed backrounds and opinions but who strive to pass on the same masage in different voices.I got a chance to meet realy cool people im talking the likes of Solo the american female soccer player. my greatest highlights is that the guys expected to find wild animals walking around the streets like some kind of a SAFARI,which was quite a disapointment to them that they found an urban city thats almost like DC.

Day 4 (Siya, Hopewell, Natasha, Natia, Francisco)

2010-06-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

Debrief Blog
Team 4!

Favorite part of today

Siya: My favorite part of today was playing soccer and answering questions, like how can you protect yourself from HIV.

Hopwell: Today the favorite part was I think playing the game this that. It was very easy for me because it gave me something to concentrate. I led that game. Something that was nice today we played soccer (World Cup), and we were number 2 and number 3. And that made me special and unique. Thank you.

Natasha: My favorite part was writing the coaches story. The coaches story that I was saying was that there was a guy who was HIV positive. And people were hating him and last December he passed away and the people at his funeral were mean that he was positive.

Natia: When I saw the lion jump up on top of the car.

One thing in common we were all surprised by?

Natasha: I was surprised by making the game cause it was part of an exercise. The Team Up City physical exercise steps.

Natia: We all understand the risks that you have about HIV.

Hopwell: What I learned is that food is nice. I like eating, everyone likes eating. We saw the animals eating in the safari. The lion cubs were eating and fighting for one bone. That wasn’t good. They must share. As people we must share too.

What are the major landscape differences between South Africa and DC?

Francisco: There’s not a lot of houses. The houses are not connected right next to each other. I think that’s why there is not as much nature and animals.

Natia: In DC there’s not giraffes walking around.

Why do you think there are differences between animal life?

Francisco: There are more animals in South Africa because they have more space and freedom. In DC they have all cars and the habitat is not peaceful in DC

Natia: Because we are on the other part of the world.

Natasha: the differences between South Africa and DC are that we have different dances and languages.

Day 4 (Daniel)

2010-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Today we did some physical training (PT). I did some things that I thought that I could not do but I had fun, and it was cool! Then we played some soccer. That was fun. We got to play “World Cup.” I was the goalie and think that I like that the most. But the thing that I like the most was when we went to the safari. That was cool because a lion got on the car!!!

Daniel (aka Big D)

Day 3 (Tuziah, Natia, Koby)

2010-06-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

Today I played soccer with my new African friends. While we were playing, Hope Solo and Kia came to play with us. Yeah, THE Hope Solo! Next we went to the Hector Pieterson museum. There we went on a scavenger hunt. Later, we went to Nelson Mandela’s house. Yep, THE Nelson Mandela! Afterwards, we went to this restaurant called Nando’s, and the food was awesome! Lastly, I got some candy and left to prepare for the next day. My favorite part of today was the food and going to Nelson Mandela’s house. This is what I did today. Starting tomorrow, I will have 6 days until I go back to America. Man does time fly! By: Koby Smallwood

Today was the best. I had gone to Nelson Mandela’s house. I found out the Nelson Mandela’s daughter is married to a prince. I also found out that her husband father had 85 children. That’s a lot! - Tu’ziah Hall

Today we played soccer with Hope, and Kia. We had so much fun! They taught us how to play soccer. We tried to kick the ball in the goal and Hope blocked it. Then we had to dribble the around in circles. By: NaTia Bland

Response to Deidra's Question (Ahmed)

2010-06-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Deidra, Nduduzo told me that “Yes there is negativity towards people that have HIV/AIDS in South Africa which is by beating, stigmatizing them, and discriminating them the infected ones.” When I found the answer I was astonished, and sad. I hope you are not too sad. We can change that by teaching the community how to treat an infected person, and all about HIV/AIDS.

Day 3 (Hopwell)

2010-06-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hopwell Mguni "Wonderzia"

I am a hip hop man. The reason why I like hip hop is that you become priceless. Meeting the DC people was very nice. People from DC are friends to me. DC is a very good and kindly state. Even today I saw an Olympic gold medalist from USA. I won a jersey, some gloves, and NIKE knapsack that Hope gave to me (if you know my name, listen carefully Hope and Hopwell are the same, so that is why I deserve good things). I was like a tour guide today. I like history and I like to tell people my history. Hector Pieterson is not a story to make black and white, but to make a universal world: they are the same. Nelson Mandela is important because he brought freedom to South Africa so that we can be united blacks and whites. So always...Hopshizil.

Day 3 (Jordana)

2010-06-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today was fun. We went to two museums, which was actually fun. I think that I liked it because it was about South Africa. Then we got to go to Nelson Mandela's house. I think the two most shocking things of the whole day was that it was freezing cold all day, and the one thing was where we got to meet Hope Solo. Isn't that amazing, and she even gave me a white red silver bracelet that's so pretty. So it was a pretty cool day.

-Jordy Wordy

Day 2 (Francisco and Ahmed)

2010-06-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

Me (Ahmed) and Cisco have experienced a cave for the first time. It was wet, slippery, and a little bit dark (a little bit---ALOT). The tour guide tried to scare us. He threw a rock in the water and scared everybody and got me (Francisco), TSpence, and Liz to lick a rock. It had the oldest fossils---we saw historical things and learned about humans who lived in Africa.

It was cool to meet our penpals (Cisco). It wasn't cool it was GREAT (Ahmed). Some of them were funny. We hope to learn more about them and have a friend forever in a different country, and to learn a different language. Hopwell told us that there are 1.4 million children who are orphaned by AIDS. We got excited about sharing what we learn in DC about AIDS with them here. We start our camp tomorrow morning at 830am!

-Francisco and Ahmed

Day 2 (Natia, Tuziah, and Koby)

2010-06-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2010

Today we went to the Sterkfontein caves, where fossils from our ancestors have been found. We saw bats in the cave it was so exciting. Ms. Balogun had to crawl and she was saying how low can you go it was so fun. Then we went to meet penpals. We had so much fun and the beef we ate was so good. -Natia

It was so exciting meeting my penpals and the others. It was so awesome I got to meet South African girls that I can chat with and have fun while I’m here in South Africa and even after.-Tuziah

Today I met my penpal and went to Sterkfontein (STEAK-FAWN-TAIN) Caves. It was truly amazing. –Koby

How Low Can You Go?

2010-06-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

I went as low as I could go crawling and slouching through caves today. –Ms Balogun

In and out of the classroom to learn

2010-06-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Team Up program is a great resource to introduce learning important life issues such as HIV prevention and education in and out of the classroom. I would like to give a special "shout out" to all the members of the program and invite other schools as Meridian PCS has done to bring innovative and "on location" hands on learning activities from the classroom to the fields. In this case the fields of South Africa and the World Cup!

Day 1 (Ahmed and Francisco)

2010-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be in South Africa, and am looking forward to meeting my pen-pal, I am also looking forward to challenging my pen-pal in soccer one-on-one just me and him.- Ahmed

I am hoping to meet my pen-pal and interact with them. I hope to have fun and enjoy my time here.-Francisco

So Proud! (Ms Balogun)

2010-06-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of these young ladies from Walker-Jones! They are excited about being in South Africa and want to learn about a new culture--- we will tomorrow.

My Journal: Day 1 (Tuziah)

2010-06-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

On the plane when we were going up into the air. I was scared, But I over came my fear. Now I am on my way to SOUTH AFRICA! Oh no, now I am IN SOUTH AFRICA!

I am looking forward to meeting my penpal. Her name is Nomfundiso. I am looking forward to seeing her tomorrow and eating the food.

-Tuziah

Photos from Pre Departure Final Meeting

2010-06-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Koby on the News

2010-06-10T06:02:00.001-07:00

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

My Essay: Koby

2010-06-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

HIV/AIDS is an important issue to me because it effects so many people, and I never want to experience such diseases. When a person develops HIV/AIDS, it doesn’t effect just that person. It effects people that they know and love as well. But the Grassroot Project is assisting me. They help by doing activities that teach you about this disease.

HIV/AIDS spreads like wildfire. But I’m the extinguisher and it stops here for me. I’m not going to allow the chance for HIV/AIDS to get me. I can and will avoid HIV/AIDS. I’m so glad that I have support on my thoughts about HIV/AIDS from the Grassroot Project. Maybe they’ll inspire you as well.

Koby "Ko Ko" Smallwood

My Essay: Unique

2010-06-07T12:53:00.001-07:00

In my community, Washington, D.C., 1 in 20 people have HIV/AIDS. Around the world more than 2 million people die of AIDS and many people are infected. HIV and AIDS are spreading each day. It’s important in our community because it effects too many people. Everyone should be aware of what HIV and AIDS can do to you and how dangerous it is. People should have role models to teach them what to and how to protect themselves from these infections. People with HIV and AIDS are stigmatized when other people think of them differently or act towards them in a different way. Stigma doesn’t help them because they have HIV or AIDS it only makes them feel worse about themselves. Families also get broken apart because family members die from AIDS.

People should empower others to help their communities and do good. That’s where Grassroot Hoyas comes in. They teach me way’s to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The spread is caused by breast milk, semen, blood, vaginal fluids, and sharing needles. Although there is no cure there is a treatment called ARV, Anti Retro Virals. Grassroots uses games and activities to teach us about HIV and AIDS, like Find the Ball. The point of the game is that you can’t tell if somebody has HIV/AIDS or not just by looking at them. Team Handball is another game. The point of that game is you have to have people to support and help you if you have HIV/AIDS or not.

They also taught me ways to stay strong. Use your strength to avoid getting infected by HIV/AIDS or an STD. Plan my next move by setting goals for my self to follow. Build my support team to help me, like my family friends and community. Take action in my community by helping people learn more about HIV and AIDS, how to get tested and where to get tested to know your status.

So everybody can learn that HIV and AIDS affect you and people you know. AIDS can kill you if you don’t know you status or get the ARV treatment. People need to take this disease seriously and take action in the community to stay well rounded and healthy and to protect ourselves form HIV/AIDS. All this I learned from the Grassroot Project so that I can protect myself, my family and also to educate my community.

Unique "Nique Nique" Greenwood

Our Thoughts before We Fly

2010-06-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

The first thing that I would like to know about when I go is what do they do over there. What do they eat? What do they play? Do they have schools like ours? Do they have classrooms like ours? I want to learn why do they have HIV and AIDS over there and I want to learn what they do to correct it. That's what I want to know about.

Daniel "Big D" Gibson

No one has no idea how I excited I am! I don't even know how excited I am! But more than anything, I want to try the food! There's other things I want to see as well. I want to see their buildings and styles of living so that I can compare my lifestyle to theirs. All that's racing in my mind right now is the food! But this will be my first time out of the country. Wow! My first time out of the country and it's in Africa! THE MOTHERLAND! This is too cool!

Koby "Ko Ko" Smallwood

Jordy Wordy on the News

2010-06-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Daniel and Jordana Visit ABC NEWS to discuss the upcoming trip

2010-05-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

NEWS

2010-05-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

CBS Local News made a visit to our school at Francis Stevens. Look at us!

Welcome

2010-05-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of the supporters who have made our trip possible. We could not be more excited about the exchange in South Africa and about the relationships we will build with students there. We have worked hard to learn about each other's cultures before the trip begins, we will work hard to fight AIDS while we are in South Africa together, and we will use this trip as an opportunity to continue our work even after our World Cup game on June 20. We will be actively blogging starting here. Stay tuned!